THE TREASURES OF SYLPHES - СКАЗОЧНАЯ ПОВЕСТЬ ДЛЯ ДЕТЕЙ И ВЗРОСЛЫХ

         СОКРОВИЩА СИЛЬФОВ – серия МАГИЯ СИЛЬФОВ

    Это - мини-версия книги, предназначена широкому кругу лиц изучающих английский язык. 

На русском языке адаптированный вариант можно прочитать здесь:
https://megaenglishgames.blogspot.com/2020/03/blog-post_14.html

                          THE TREASURES OF SYLPHES

     One day when my parents were not at home my friends came to me to talk about treasures of sylphs. We often discussed that topic. But we never spoke about it in the presence of adults. They considered both the treasures and the silves non-existing and didn’t take us seriously. So we tried to find places where adults couldn’t interfere with us.  And our living room was exactly such a place for my mum and dad used to come back late.

    

     There were five of us. And each one told his version of the legend about the treasures.

     All of them were very different. So we argued for hours, trying to find out the truth. The only thing we agreed upon was that the treasures were real. The rest was doubtful.

     We talked by turns. One after another. Tim stated that silves lived in the North of Canada. Nick believed that it could be the North of Siberia as well. David tried to persuade us that they dwelt on one of the faraway islands in the ocean. While Max was convinced that silves had settled in uninhabited woods surrounded by rocky mountains. And I was sure that they lived in the jungle.

    

     “People are not allowed even to cross the boundaries of their magic country,” Nick said.

     “There are all sorts of natural protection like cliffs, fogs and narrow paths known only to their guides,” Tim added in a mysterious voice.

     Then it was David’s turn to continue. May be he had nothing to say, so he sort of disapproved the last version, “I don’t mind the term a magic country but I do mind the impossibility to cross its boundaries”.

     Of course, it was significant. We sort of wished to penetrate their lands. So we had to investigate that point and discuss the subject further.

     “People say their guards are smart and brave warriors. They protect secret entrances on the four sides of the land,” Tim explained.

     “You’d better confess that you are afraid to risk and see it yourself,” Max began. “Mummy’s boy.”

     “I hate when somebody calls me mummy’s boy,” Tim said. “Couldn’t you be more friendly? I am talking about serious matters… The North, the South, the East and the West. Imagine, all four sides have their own guards. And they hunt those who try to penetrate their sacred settlements.”

  

     “You mean there are some?” we inquired.

     “I guess so. Otherwise why should they keep so many guards?”

     “It’s ridiculous to suggest that these harmless creatures keep the whole army of guards.” I started but was interrupted by David.

     “It’s ridiculous to talk about those fantastic guys if we even don’t guess where to start our search. And there is nobody in the whole world who can clear up the matter about the location of that magic country.”

     We didn’t speak for a while. Suddenly I thought that my friends were hungry. So I went to the kitchen, fried the whole bowl of thick pancakes, made ham and cheese sandwiches, boiled tea, filled the jug with milk, took some tasty buns and brought the trace with food to the living room. That cheered us up sufficiently.

     We were sitting round the coffee table enjoying our meals and discussing exotic views of the silves’ country.

     “Let’s make a list of all the things we’ll need,” Max offered unexpectedly.

     And the first thing we thought about was a map of the world. There was one at home but I didn’t want to use it for the parents not to suspect anything.

     So we decided to draw a handmade map with the probable dwelling places of silves.

     “We must be ready to check all five versions,” Dave said.

     “It’s necessary to find the mysterious land,” Nick added.

     “You can’t imagine how much I wish to get to desirable treasures,” Tim exclaimed, chewing a sandwich and stretching his hand to take one more.

     “It looks like sandwiches are more desirable for you,” Max joked.

      “I love to eat, but of course I love precious things like pearls more,” confessed Tim.

     “You are so stubborn about unexisting pearls,” stated Max. “Everybody knows the treasures in the trunk are golden coins and luxurious jewelry.”

     “I have nothing against golden coins or jewelry but why do you always imagine them in a trunk?” I asked.

     “A sack with golden coins is a good idea, but only a blockhead can keep treasures in a sack,” explained Max.

     “And your imaginary trunk is an old-fashioned thing,”  I ascertained with a clever face. “Smart creatures like silves don’t have the pirots’ habbits to use trunks for treasures.”

     “You don’t mean that they keep gold in a safe?” asked Max with irony.

     “We don’t know much about silves. They are unpredictable for us,” Nick said reconcilably and smiled. “They can keep the coins even in a pot.”

     “How about dollars under a mattress?” inquired David laughing.

  

     We often argued about what it was so the variety of treasures in our minds increased every day as well as the probable places where silves kept them. The dispute continued until I tried to attract attention of my friends to a very important question which we somehow always ignored.

     “Guys!” I exclaimed. Everybody looked at me. “Do you think silves would enjoy sharing their treasures with us?”

     We sat in silence for a while.

     “We didn’t reflect too much about it,” Max and Tim said simultaneously.

     “That’s true,” the other boys agreed.

     “I feel we’ll be able to deal with that point one way or the other when we get there,” Tim said with confidence.

   

     “It’s better to discuss this item before we get there,” Max offered.

     “Then let’s talk now,” Tim supported his cousin. I forgot to tell Tim was Max’s cousin and mine.

     “Not today,“  I objected, looking at my watch.  “Finish the meal and hurry up! The parents are coming.”

     We had a reason to avoid the presence of grown-ups for their probable attempts to prevent our venture.

     Grown-ups are weird people. The only thing they want are good marks. They are sort of concerned with our future success. But they don’t understand a thing. So it’s important not to share secrets with them.   

     Everyone took a new sandwich and went to the entrance door.

     We made up our minds to meet after school the next day.

     I was impatient to see my friends again as soon as possible. So I went to bed early that evening and began to imagine how to reach the mysterious tribe of silves and find their treasures.

     Soon I was wandering in the jungle together with my friends looking for secret paths which could lead us straight to the silves’ settlement.

     Happily it wasn’t the North of Alaska or Siberia or the North Pole itself. So it was warm and sunny and we could enjoy the search.

     

     We were not scared though the place was full of exotic animals and plants. Some of the beasts tried to chase us. But it was the daytime and we felt they were not dangerous.

     We were walking in their forest that is jungle and they sort of accompanied us out of their curiosity.

     We welcomed the ones which were inquisitive: a couple of dwarf squirrels, a raccoon and a pair of fluffy hares. Not interrupting their regular activity (picking up mushrooms) the dwarf jungle squirrels climbed the huge trees to store their provision, while the raccoon stared at our company hiding behind the bushes ready to run away at first signs of danger. And the pretty hares followed us at a safe distance.

     We didn’t understand how it happened but soon my friends and I began to guess that we got lost.

     The landscape suddenly changed. It wasn’t jungle any more with its marvelous plants. It was a forest with well-known trees, though it was fantastically beautiful.

     Strange enough but the friendly squirrels were there too. Only they were significantly fatter.

     A rain started and all the boys run in different directions to hide. They ran very quickly and in a minute I couldn’t see them. So I began to look for a shelter.

     The squirrels rushed ahead and I followed them. I didn’t chase them but merely tried to get to a safe place. And animals know such places better.

     Soon I saw a huge tree with a hollow inside. The squirrels evidently hid there I guessed. I was sorry I wasn’t a squirrel myself, because I couldn’t climb trees so well as they.  Still it was the best shelter in the forest. To be exact it was already the edge of the forest. But it didn’t matter.

     The only thing that mattered was the size of the tree. It was enormous. Huge branches with leaves protected me. I knew trees were not recommended as shelters in thunderstorm. But there was no choice. I didn’t want to get wet.

          

     I stood there for an hour or two. Then I decided that it was time to act. So I went further. I walked and walked and walked. The rain stopped. But I didn’t stop walking.

     I was hungry, so I had to eat some berries. Happily the friendly squirrels didn’t leave me alone. They followed me staying at a safe distance and not approaching too close.

     Soon I saw several very tiny far-away wooden houses. They were so tiny that I could easily call them huts. Their size didn’t exceed the size of an average bird-table. So my companions the squirrels looked huge in comparison with the huts. Of course, it was only optical effect. But still I felt they were not for people.

     And I wasn’t mistaken. It was silves’ village or their secret settlement.              

     As we had predicted they were really very harmless creatures. Staying in the bushes I could hear their friendly laugh and watch their activity.

     At first the squirrels watched the silves with me, but then for no evident reason the animals disappeared. May be they didn’t want to come in sight.

     I didn’t want to come in sight either.  I intended to fulfill our plan and discover the treasures. So when I made sure the silves were busy I checked the nearby forest in order to find the mysterious path. The landscape gradually turned into jungle again.  I admired marvelous trees. It was wonderful to touch the huge leaves and climb exotic trees. From time to time I had to sit high on the branches in order to choose where to go further. But generally I stayed down that is walked down on the grass, for I am not a squirrel to move otherwise. I am a usual boy, so I acted like a boy in the circumstances.

    

     I was wandering in the unknown lands until I felt that somebody was secretly chasing me. I couldn’t understand who it was. But I had no doubt it had nothing to do with the squirrels. I guessed it had something to do with the treasures.

     I guessed that I was approaching the sacred lands with the hidden treasures. The golden shine in the air betrayed the location. I rushed to the secret place and heard somebody’s breathing behind. But I didn’t stop.

     Soon I reached a small cave in a rock. The light went from the inside. The light of  the treasures. I glanced around to make sure there was nobody near. Happily there was none. I felt the cave wasn’t big. The shine increased when I approached its entrance.

     And then suddenly I saw the treasures: a lot of golden coins, thousands of glistening golden coins, uncountable piles of round money. I stretched my hand and touched it. It was real, I felt their structure and density. I took one and felt its weight. And at the same moment I felt somebody touched my shoulder.

     “Put it back!” said somebody into my ear insistently. “NO!!!” I shouted with all my might.

     The echo of the cave was alert. It copied our voices at once with doubled strength. Scared by the touch and the echo of two voices I woke up.

     I was so happy it had been a dream. I was safe. It was my own bed and my own room.

     “It was only a dream,” I assured myself again and stretched. At the same moment I felt something in my hand. I couldn’t believe my own eyes. It was a golden coin!

The other parts of the book(The MAZE of SILVES, The SETTLEMENT of Silves, IN THE COUNTRY of SILVES, The MAGIC of SILVES,) are available in the Book.